You loved me for all the wrong reasons
by Skovko
Summary: Roman's treating Sunnie like a doormat. He doesn't even try to hide his ways because he knows she'll never leave. Seth has had enough and decides to take it upon himself to teach her that she has a voice and it's alright to use it. That she can trust her own opinions and emotions instead of always rolling over like a dog. (Inspired by the song "Killing You" by Asking Alexandria.)
1. A mess

Sunnie heard knocking on the front door and quickly dried her eyes. She wasn't expecting anyone this early. She doubted Roman was expecting anyone either with how late he came home last night. She got out of bed as soon as he was asleep. She couldn't stand lying next to him. Not with the way he smelled and looked.

She took a deep breath to hold back a sob and then walked towards the front door. She could see Seth's face through the glass. She had no idea why he was there this early. He should be sleeping too, seeing how he had gone out with Roman the night before. She didn't want Seth to see her cry. She kept her head down as she opened the door, speaking while turning around so her back was against him.

"He's still asleep but you can come inside and wait for him," she said.

She walked back to the kitchen without waiting for an answer. She heard him enter the house, shut the door and follow her out in the kitchen. She had her hands on the counter top, looking out the kitchen window, hoping he would either go away on his own or wait in the living room.

"There's coffee if you want some," she said.

Always remember hospitality. She was raised that way. Never show her true feelings to anyone. The world didn't want to hear about her problems or see a sad face.

"Are you alright?" He asked.  
"I'm fine," she lied.

She felt his hand on her shoulder. He wasn't like any other man she had ever known. Not that she had known a lot of men. He was different. He always seemed to care about the people in his life. Not that other men in her life didn't care. They just cared in another way. In a non-show way. They cared when she was happy and doing the right thing. When she was being a good girl like she was brought up to be. She placed her hand on top of his. She might not have been brought up to show weakness but she craved some kindness in that moment.

"How long were you out partying?" She asked.

He let out a deep sigh behind her. This was the same everytime he went out with Roman. Seth would actually leave pretty early but Roman didn't. He didn't care that he had a woman waiting for him at home. An amazing women that he should cherish in Seth's opinion. Sunnie with her long, slightly wavy, black hair and the moss green eyes.

"I know what I should be saying in order to cover his ass but I don't wanna lie to you," he said.  
"He came home two hours ago," she said.  
"I went home at midnight," he said.

There was a six hours gap between Seth leaving and Roman coming home. Both Seth and Sunnie knew what Roman had been doing in those six hours. He gently spun her around and she immediately looked down. He tipped her head back up, forcing her to let him see her tears and her weak side.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm a mess. You don't need this."  
"Ssh," he shushed her. "Don't apologize for this. He's in the wrong. And I can't stand seeing him do this to you anymore."  
"It's not your problem," she said.  
"I'm making it my problem. Go pack a bag," he said.  
"Seth," she sighed.  
"Give me one week to prove to you this relationship sucks and that you'll be so much better on your own," he said. "One week, Sunnie. Please. You deserve better than this. He's treating you like a doormat and you're letting him."

She knew he was right but there was so much going on inside her head. She also knew it was now or never. She would never dare taking this step on her own but with Seth's help it seemed easier. Her words abandoned her. Instead she nodded and walked into the bedroom. He followed right after and took a look at the sleeping Roman in the bed.

"Jesus Christ!" He muttered.

He walked closer to the bed and stared at the man that was supposed to be his friend. He stank from a mix of beer and women's perfume. If the perfume wasn't a dead give away, the red lipstick smeared all over his white shirt sure was. He didn't even bother cleaning up before going home to Sunnie.

"Why do you put up with this?" He asked.  
"I love him," she answered.  
"I doubt it," he said.

He looked at her, waiting for a reaction. It didn't come. She just kept packing her bag. He knew he was right. She didn't love Roman anymore. Not like she used to. She just hadn't come to terms with that fact yet inside her head. Seth was gonna show her that she could trust her own thoughts and emotions. She just needed a push in the right direction but he knew she would never do it on her own. He had been around her and Roman long enough to know that she never voiced her own opinion on anything. She always did what Roman wanted. And that had made Roman treat her like this because Roman knew she would never leave. Roman was in for a harsh wake up call later.

"I'm gonna leave him a note," she said.

That made sense. Although Seth could see the fun in her just disappearing, he knew that wasn't something she would ever do. Roman might be a pig but he didn't deserve to not know. In the end Seth wanted Roman to know. He wanted Roman to learn a lesson from this. He wanted Roman to know that Sunnie had finally grown a pair and started thinking on her own. She finished the note and placed it on her pillow. She looked at Roman, still not sure about this.

"Sunnie?" Seth asked.  
"Do you think I should wear lipstick like that? He must think it's a pretty color," she said.  
"No, you are not doing that to yourself!" He growled lowly. "It doesn't matter what you wear or how much makeup you use. He'll still fuck around with any random woman crossing his path. This isn't about you not being good enough. This is about him being an asshole."

He took her bag and gently grabbed her arm. He escorted her out of the house before she changed her mind. She got into his car without a word and he started driving. They drove in silence for a couple of minutes until it felt like the air got a bit more light the further away they got from Roman's house.

"Why are you letting him walk all over you like that?" He asked.  
"I don't know," she mumbled.  
"I'm gonna take a wild guess here. You were brought up by an asshole father, weren't you?" He asked.

She fiddled with the hem of her t-shirt. He drove a few more minutes in silence and then parked in his driveway. He looked at her for a long time until she finally looked back at him.

"I was raised to be a good girl," she said.  
"A good girl?" He snorted. "You were raised to roll over like a dog and do what your owner says."  
"A woman always cater to her man's needs. She never questions his ways," she said.  
"It sounds like you're reading a script," he shook his head. "I don't know your father but it sounds like he's a narcissist or a male chauvinist. Probably both."  
"You don't know anything about my family," she said.  
"Tell me I'm wrong," he said.

She stared at him. She actually looked a bit angry. He kept looking at her with challenging eyes. She didn't say anything.

"Just like I thought," he opened the car door. "You can sit out here and pout or you can come inside. As long as you do what you wanna do, I'm fine with whatever you choose. I'm making coffee if you want some."

He left her in the car and walked inside without ever looking back at her. He needed to challenge her like this. She needed to see that it was alright to have an opinion and follow through with it. He walked to the kitchen to put on some coffee. The second he turned on the coffee maker, he heard her footsteps as she entered the kitchen. He turned around with a smile on his face. She stood there looking like a lost kid with her bag in her hand.

"Coffee's done in a couple of minutes. I don't know how you take it but there's milk in the fridge and sugar in here," he knocked on a kitchen cabinet. "Let's get your stuff in the bedroom while we wait for the coffee. If you're not comfortable with sharing my bed, I'll sleep on the couch. Your choice."


	2. Smiles and choices

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Roman shouted.

Seth wasn't surprised to hear from Roman around 4 PM. Roman had finally woken up and found the note from Sunnie. He was however surprised that Roman called him and not her. He had to lie to Roman. He had to pretend to still be on Roman's side to buy himself a little time.

"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror, Roman?" Seth asked.  
"Why the fuck would I do that?" Roman asked.

Seth heard Roman moved around and then a loud sound of annoyance. Clearly Roman had found a mirror and was staring at the red lipstick on his shirt.

"Ah, fuck!" Roman growled.  
"And you stink of her perfume too," Seth informed Roman.  
"It's not like it's the first time. She never leaves. What does it matter that I have a bit of fun? I always come home," Roman said.

Seth couldn't believe the nerves of Roman. Roman didn't even care about Sunnie. All he cared about was having her and all his side pieces. It wasn't fair to Sunnie and it sure as hell wasn't right.

"I'm coming over," Roman said.  
"No!" Seth almost yelled.  
"No?" Roman questioned.  
"She's hurting right now. The last thing she wants is to see you today. You had to know that at one point she would get fed up with all your bullshit and shenanigans. You can't tell me that for one second you thought things would last like this," Seth said.

Roman's breathing changed. Clearly he had thought that.

"Oh my god, you actually thought that?" Seth couldn't believe it. "You're a piece of shit, Roman, and that's me putting it politely."  
"What do you get out of this?" Roman asked.  
"Nothing," Seth answered. "I get to hopefully put a smile on her face again. Something you should be doing everyday. Take a few days and think things through. Think about what you want in life."  
"I want her!" Roman shouted. "But fine, I'll play along like a good, little boy and give her some time. And tell her to turn on her fucking phone."

Roman hung up without a word of goodbye. A smile slowly crept up on Seth's face as he walked outside where Sunnie was sitting reading a book she had found on his bookshelf.

"Did you by any chance turn your phone off?" He asked.  
"Oh my god, was that wrong?" She grabbed her phone. "I'll turn it on again. I'm sorry. I didn't think..."

He closed his hand around hers and smiled. She stopped talking mid sentence. He sat down on the chair next to her, still holding on to her hand while taking the phone from her with his other hand.

"No, it's not wrong. Roman just called and he tried calling you first," he said.  
"Shit! He's mad, isn't he? I better go home. I don't want you two to have a fallout because of me," she said.  
"Be quiet for a second," he chuckled. "What you do with your phone is up to you. Throw it in my neighbor's pool for all I care. I'm telling you this because I'm not gonna lie to you or keep secrets from you. He called. I told him to give you a couple of days. I think he agreed."  
"Think?" She asked.  
"He agreed," he answered.

He handed her phone back to her to see what she would do. She took it and placed it back down on the table. That only made him smile again. It was baby steps but that was alright. As long as she made a choice and did what she wanted.

"I've only ever been with Roman," she said.  
"So you don't know if he's actually good in bed or if you've missed out on something better?" He smirked.  
"Forget it," she mumbled.

She opened the book again and went back to reading. He felt stupid. It had been a silly joke and it had the wrong effect on her. He put a hand on the book and lowered it.

"I'm sorry," he said.  
"It's okay," she said.  
"No, I'm sorry," he repeated. "You don't have to brush it aside and pretend it's okay. It's not. You were trying to tell me something and I made a stupid joke. Tell me. I'm listening."  
"I forgot what it was. It wasn't important anyway," she said.

He could tell she was lying but he wasn't gonna drill further into it. He had to remind himself that this was the first time someone ever challenged everything she believed in. He had to take baby steps too.

"What do you want for dinner?" He asked.  
"Whatever you were already planning on having," she answered.  
"I wasn't planning anything. I usually just order a pizza after a night of drinking," he said.  
"I like pizza," she said.  
"What do you want on it?" He asked.  
"Whatever you want. I'm not picky," she answered.

That turned out to not be completely right. He had ordered a grande pizza for them to share. He watched her in silence. When she thought he wasn't looking, she discreetly pushed the mushrooms from a slice over on another. She picked up the slice without mushrooms and started eating.

"Do you often do that trick with Roman?" He asked.  
"What trick?" She asked.  
"Pushing food aside without him noticing?" He asked.

Her face went red. Like a child caught with a hand down the cookie jar.

"You always get away with it, don't you?" He smirked.  
"I'm sorry," she said.  
"Stop apologizing," he said. "If you don't like mushrooms, don't eat them. You should have told me though. You said you weren't a picky eater."  
"I'm not. I just don't like mushrooms," she said.  
"And stop blushing," he laughed. "It's just mushrooms. I love them. I don't mind eating extra."

She kept looking down, still red in the face as she ate her slice. He wondered if she had done that in her childhood too. Somehow tricked her ways out of eating or doing things she didn't like without her father noticing. He had to reach her somehow. He had to get through to her that her opinions mattered too.

"Let's take a day out tomorrow," he said.  
"Don't you have work?" She asked.  
"No, I got three weeks vacation so I'm all yours," he answered.  
"What are we gonna do?" She asked.  
"We'll figure it out," he shrugged. "Something we both want."

A small smile tugged on her lips. Nothing big. It was hardly there but it was a win in his book.

"We do have another matter to discuss though," he said. "Sleeping arrangements."  
"I don't care. We'll do what you want," she said.  
"No, you do care and I don't wanna put you in a position where you're not comfortable," he said.  
"It's your bed," she said.  
"So you wanna share?" He asked.  
"I can take the couch," she offered.  
"That's the only choice I'm not giving you. You share the bed with me or I'll take the couch," he said.  
"I don't wanna throw you out of your own bed," she said.  
"So we're sharing?" He asked.

He smirked at her. He knew he had her cornered and that he probably wasn't being entirely fair. He would take the couch if she wanted him to. No questions asked. He just didn't want her to sleep on it. He wanted her to have a good night's sleep after this long day.

"Which side do you prefer?" She asked.

He smiled brightly. She wanted to share. He failed to see that she was actually making him pick for her in this matter.

"The right side," he answered.  
"I'll take the left side then," she said.  
"Wait, you just played me into making the choice," he said.  
"Your opinion matters too, Seth," she said. "You might not believe me but I've always preferred the left side."

She gave him a warm smile. A real smile. He hadn't seen her smile like that in months, maybe even close to a year. She used to smile like that a lot back in the days when her and Roman first met. That was three years ago. He hadn't thought about how much he had missed seeing that smile until that second.


	3. The first no

When Seth woke up next morning, he was alone in bed. A bunch of delicious smells reached him. He got out of bed and moved towards the kitchen. He couldn't keep the smile down when he saw the breakfast she had cooked up for him. It was everything he could desire and he would have found it very sweet if he hadn't known this probably came from her upbringing. She had to wait on the men.

"It looks amazing," he said.  
"I hope you like it," she said.

They both sat down and he fixed himself a plate. He looked across the table and saw that she just sat there watching him. She didn't touch the food herself. His facial expression changed and so did hers. She almost looked scared. She got up from the chair and moved towards the fridge.

"I can make you something else. Tell me what you want and I'll make it," she said.

She was misinterpretating his facial expression. He got up from his chair and wrapped his arms around her from behind to stop her. She stood still as he gently held on to her.

"You got it all wrong. You went out of your way to make me happy and it's fucking amazing. You're amazing," he said.

He let go of her and she turned around to face him.

"But this," he pointed at the table. "This shouldn't be done just for me. It should be done for both of you. And you're not touching the food."  
"I will," she said.  
"When?" He asked.  
"When you're done eating," she answered.  
"Why?" He asked.  
"I'll eat whatever you leave," she answered.

It felt like his head was about to explode. He couldn't believe she was brought up to only eat leftovers that men didn't touch.

"What the fuck is wrong with your father?" He raged. "And Roman? Did you do this with Roman too?"  
"Yes, but you gotta understand..." She started.  
"I understand just fine!" He cut her off. "Now sit your cute, little butt back down and eat. Don't ask what you can eat. Eat what you want. I won't eat until you do."

She sat down and so did he. He watched her and waited. It took around 10 seconds and then she started putting food on her plate. For each thing she took, she looked up in his eyes as if she expected him to yell at her. He did nothing but smile. Once her plate was full, they both started eating. They ate in silence but it didn't feel awkward. He knew she needed it to process in her head what was happening. She had a choice and no one came down on her for following through with it.

"What do you wanna do today?" He asked.  
"I don't know," she shrugged. "What do you wanna do?"  
"You can't play me like that again," he chuckled. "We should head downtown and just do what we wanna do. How about ice cream first?"  
"Okay," she said.

Since she cooked breakfast, he cleaned the table. She clearly questioned that by the look in her eyes but she didn't say anything. Afterwards they took his car downtown and headed towards an open ice cream shop. It was still early so no one was there yet.

"What do you want?" He asked.  
"I don't know yet," she answered.

She studied the board on the wall with all the flavors. Meanwhile he walked up to the counter.

"I'd like a cone with two scoops. One pistachio and one chocolate," he said.  
"I'll have the same," she said.  
"Sunnie," he sighed.

The young man behind the counter didn't seem to notice Seth was unhappy. He made the two cones and handed them over the counter. Seth paid and they walked outside. They took a slow walk through town, looking at windows while talking. It wasn't until around five minutes later that he noticed she wasn't eating her ice cream. It seemed like she was trying to hide it from him while the ice cream slowly melted down the cone and over her hand. He stopped and lifted up her arm.

"Why aren't you eating it?" He asked.  
"I forgot," she answered.  
"Please, don't lie to me," he said. "Do you even like ice cream?"  
"No," she whispered.

She looked down ashamed. He felt like an idiot. He had assumed she liked ice cream because most people did, and of course she hadn't said anything out of fear of angering him. He had to get through to her somehow. He grabbed the cone and threw it in a nearby trash can. He then grabbed her and pushed her up against the wall of a shoe shop that was yet to open. He lifted her hand and licked the ice cream off it while keeping eye contact with her. She didn't say anything but he could see her mind was working on figuring out what was happening.

"Kiss me," he said.  
"What?" She asked.  
"Strip down naked. I want you right now. I wanna fuck you up against this wall," he said.

He was challenging her on purpose. He needed her to say it. He needed her to find her own voice.

"No," she said.  
"That wasn't so hard, was it? Your first no," he smirked.

He took a step backwards so she could move away from the wall. She kept standing there, looking at him.

"You're an idiot," she said.  
"I've been called that before," he said.  
"I don't like you right now," she said.  
"You will again," he held out his hands. "The town is ours for the taking. What do you wanna do?"

She stepped away from the wall with a determination he hadn't seen in her eyes before.

"I want an iced coffee on rice milk," she said.  
"Rice milk?" He frowned.  
"Is that wrong?" She asked.  
"Shit, no. I've never heard about that before," he said. "Is it good?"  
"I love it but baristas usually tell me I'm the only one," she said.  
"Hell, I'll give it a try. If you love it, it can't be that bad," he said. "Your taste in men might suck but I know you got good taste in food. The breakfast you served was so delicious."

They started walking towards the nearest coffee shop.

"Seth?" She looked at him with a smile.  
"Yeah?" He asked.  
"Thank you," she said.  
"About time someone releases you from your cage," he put an arm around her shoulders. "I can't wait to see what else you'll have me do today. From now on I'm following you."


	4. Go for your dreams

Seth woke up next morning and thought back on the day before. She had been so exhausted when they finally got home. Not because they had done a lot of crazy things but because it took everything in her to make decisions and trust her own mind. Something she wasn't used to around a man.

He had made her relax while he cooked dinner. It had been hard for her to let go of the mindset that that was a task for women. Seth was a chef. He knew damn well how to cook and he was gonna prove it to her. He had cooked up his signature dish, a simple but very delicious pasta dish, and she had loved it.

He was lying on his right side, still with his eyes closed, going through all the memories they had made the day before. She was something else once he got to see the real woman inside her. The bed shifted a bit and he felt her move in behind him. Her arm went around him and she placed her hand on his chest. He placed his hand on top of hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. She kissed the back of his head and he swore he could feel her lips form into a smile.

"Thank you for everything," she said.  
"My pleasure," he said. "Turns out you're not that bad once I got to know you."  
"Shut up!" She chuckled.  
"Make me," he said.

She moved her hand from his chest and covered his mouth. He pushed it away and spun around, reaching for her hands. She put up a fight in bed with him and soon they were both tangled in the sheets and each other's limbs. She was laughing so much and he enjoyed the sight of her being carefree. He let go of her arms and instead pulled her in to lie in his. She cuddled up on his chest, still snickering a bit.

"How did you end up with Roman?" He asked.  
"I was still living at home. My father wouldn't allow me to get a job or move out and I was too scared to defy him. His secretary sued him for sexual harassment and Roman was signed as one of the lawyers on his case. The whole team came in our home and we met there," she said.  
"What happened to the secretary?" He asked.  
"They ripped her to shreds. She used to be a stripper in her younger days and they used that to slut shame her down in the ground. My father won. Of course he did. He always wins. And I know," she sighed. "I just fucking know he did everything she accused him of."

He kissed the top of her head. He tried imagining growing up in a home like that but he couldn't. It was too far out of his reach.

"So as a bonus for winning, he told me to go on a date with Roman," she said.  
"He pimped you out?" He asked shocked.  
"No, it's not like that. It was just a date," she said.  
"But did you want to go?" He asked.

Her silence gave him the no she couldn't say. He tightened his arms around her. He wished he had known her back then. He would have tried to get her out of that house. He would have tried to shield her from all the bad things in her life.

"It was just a date," she repeated. "And I fell in love."  
"Did you really or did your father convince you that you did?" He asked.  
"I..." She stopped herself. "No, I loved him. I still love him. Stop making me think otherwise."  
"Sunnie," he sighed.  
"No, I don't wanna be here anymore. I don't like you," she said. "I wanna go home. I wanna go home. I wanna..."

She was fighting against him, trying to get out of his arms. He released her but sat up at the same time as her. She looked so broken in that moment and he pulled her back into his arms.

"I love him!" She yelled.  
"Sunnie, it's okay," he said.  
"I love him!" She yelled again.  
"It's okay, babe, it's okay," he said.  
"I love him! I love him!" She broke down and started sobbing. "I don't love him, Seth. I don't fucking love him. I never did."

He kept holding her, gently caressing her and comforting her while she got the tears out of her system. It slowed down little by little but he kept sitting with her in his arms, waiting for her to say or do something.

"What am I gonna do?" She asked.  
"What do you wanna do?" He asked.  
"I don't have an education and I've never had a job. I wasn't allowed. I get an allowance every week," she said.  
"That asshole!" He growled. "Roman is just a younger version of your father. You need to get away from him."  
"How?" She asked.  
"You're already out of the house. Now we need to get you back on your feet. You need to find yourself," he said.  
"I don't know where to start," she said.  
"I got an idea," he said. "Get up and get dressed. We'll buy breakfast on the way."

30 minutes later they were looking in through the window to an empty shop. She could see there was a kitchen in the back.

"Didn't this use to be a sushi restaurant?" She asked.  
"It did. The owner passed away a year ago and no one wanted to take over," he answered.  
"Why are we here?" She asked.  
"I've already been inside looking at it a couple of times. I got the contract ready at home. They're just waiting for my signature," he said.

She turned her head and looked at him surprised. He couldn't help but smile at how cute she looked.

"Yes, I wanna open my own restaurant," he said.  
"That's fucking awesome," she smiled back at him. "So what's stopping you?"  
"Nerves. What if I fail?" He asked.  
"You? Fail?" She laughed. "That pasta dish you served yesterday will bring in people from the next ten towns over. As long as you haven't given the recipe to your boss, you're good to go."  
"No, I kept that one a secret. You're the first one I served it to actually," he said.  
"I feel so honored," she chuckled. "You gotta do it, Seth. If this is your dream, go for it. I know you won't fail. You're the best chef I've ever known."  
"How many chefs have you known?" He asked.

He pulled her in with one arm and kissed the top of her head.

"If I do this, I'll need some staff. A few more chefs and some waiters," he said.  
"Post an ad online," she said.  
"You're so clueless," he chuckled. "I heard you were looking for a job."  
"I can't cook," she said.  
"You can and you already proved that but I also need waiters. Cook or serve. You get to make the call. Or you can just tell me to go fuck myself if you don't wanna work with me. I won't be mad," he said.

She looked in through the window again, trying to picture what it would look like once Seth got it built into what he had in mind.

"Waiter at first," she said. "But you can teach me to cook even better and maybe one day I'll be good enough to take the step into the kitchen."  
"Deal," he said. "Alright, I'm fucking doing this. We're fucking doing this. This calls for a celebration. Iced coffee?"  
"I never turn down iced coffee," she said.  
"With rice milk. You know, I kinda liked that. Guess you're not the only one in town drinking it like that anymore," he said.

After buying iced coffees, they drove back to his house. He found the contract and signed it right away. He looked up at her with a smile and wet eyes. She wasn't the only one learning to trust her own opinion. She had just pushed him to go for his dream as well and he couldn't be more grateful.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" He asked.  
"If you did, Roman would have cut off your balls, fried them and fed them to you," she said.  
"You're hereby my best friend in the whole fucking world," he grinned. "I'm gonna own my own god damn restaurant."

He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. He laughed down in her hair, feeling truly free for the first time in his life.

"And now you," he said.  
"I'm not sure," she said.

She moved out of his arms. He caught a climpse of uncertainty in her eyes before she turned her back to him.

"Sunnie?" He asked.  
"He's done what he said he would do. He hasn't reached out. He's giving me space. Maybe he's ready to change," she said.  
"You don't believe that," he said. "He's trying to get you home and nothing will have changed once you get there. If anything, he'll keep the leash on you even shorter so you won't run off again."  
"I'm not a dog!" She snapped.  
"Tell that to him!" He snapped back. "Because he sure as hell is good at treating you like one!"

She started walking towards the bathroom. She needed a break to gather her thoughts.

"Sunnie, please," he tried. "I'm trying to help you."  
"I never asked for your help!" She was angry. "And it doesn't matter. I don't need to make a decision right now. He's leaving for a business trip tomorrow night and he'll be gone for a week. I got time."

She walked out of the room and shortly after the bathroom door closed. The water started running and he let out a sigh. He grabbed his phone and walked outside. She needed space and he would give it to her. As much as she wanted.

He was not gonna let her go back to Roman without at least putting up a fight. She was better than that. She deserved better than Roman. She had already confessed to not loving Roman so there was no point in her going back other than fear of being alone and not being able to stand on her own two feet. She failed to see she wasn't alone. She had him.


	5. See stars

They had tiptoed around each other the rest of the day. He had stayed outside most of the day and she had stayed inside. Not many words had been shared over dinner. They had still shared his bed. There wasn't any anger between them. He was gonna give her the time and space to figure it all out inside her head.

He woke up next morning the same way as the day before. He was on his right side. Once again she felt he was awake and she crawled up behind him, moved her arm around him and placed her hand on his chest. Once again he covered her hand with his own.

"I'm sorry for yesterday," she said.  
"We've talked about you always apologizing," he chuckled.  
"But this time it's needed. I know you're only trying to help me and I'm very grateful," she said.  
"But?" He asked.  
"But I'm so fucking scared, Seth. I've never been allowed to think for myself and you keep challenging me which I love. Don't get me wrong. But it doesn't change how scared I am," she said.

He rolled around so he was facing her. Her moss green eyes stared into his. He moved a hand up to caress her cheek and run his fingers through her hair.

"It's okay to be scared," he said.  
"I know but I'm really, really scared," she said.  
"That's okay too," he smiled. "I won't let you fall."  
"Everyone falls," she said.  
"So I'll help you back up," he said. "Every single time."

He moved his hand back to her cheek and stared at her lips. He gently ran his thumb across them, wanting so badly to kiss her in that moment. She kept looking at him, awaiting his move. He couldn't do it. Not like this. Instead he moved his hand to her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"We should get up," he said.

He got out of bed, hoping she didn't feel rejected or hurt by him. She didn't say anything but she left the bed too.

"What do you wanna do today?" He asked.  
"Do you wanna go swimming? I haven't been to the ocean in ages," she said.  
"Do you have a swimsuit?" He asked.  
"I was thinking about swimming naked," she said.  
"Oh? You were?" He looked surprised. "And you're joking. Yup, joke's on me. I was totally on board for a second."  
"I got some money on me from last week's allowance. We can go buy a swimsuit first," she said.

They went through with that plan after breakfast. She bought a lime green bikini that had him suck in his breath when he saw her in it. She looked perfect. He cleared his throat and tried thinking unsexy thoughts. The last thing he needed was to scare families away from the beach because of an unwanted boner.

They spent a couple of hours on the beach and then drove back to town for lunch at a Thai restaurant. Afterwards they went home, relaxed to a couple of movies, cooked dinner and had a nice time together. A nice time that was ruined that evening around 8 PM when someone knocked on the door. Seth went out to open and came face to face with Roman.

"What are you doing here?" Seth asked.  
"Really, Seth?" Roman asked annoyed. "You've been hiding her long enough."

Roman pushed past Seth and walked into Seth's house uninvited.

"Wait, you can't just..." Seth started. "Fuck!"

Roman was already out of the hall and inside the living room. Seth hurried in there and found a surprised looking Sunnie while Roman did his best to put on a good attitude and a friendly smile.

"Hi, poodle," Roman said.  
"Poodle," Seth growled lowly. "Like a fucking dog."  
"Can you give us a minute?" Roman looked at Seth.  
"No, he can stay," Sunnie said.

Seth couldn't help but smile. This was the first time she had said no to Roman as far as he knew. It might be small but it was worth so much. Roman frowned but quickly gathered his composure again.

"Enough time has passed. I miss you. It's time for you to come home," Roman said.  
"Are you asking her or ordering her?" Seth asked.  
"Why don't you stay out of this?" Roman raised his voice.  
"You're in my home," Seth pointed out.  
"Not for long," Roman said.

He took out a ring box, opened it and dropped to one knee. Seth's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe it. He looked at Sunnie. She looked just as shocked as he was.

"Marry me, poodle. We belong together. You're my woman and I'm your man," Roman said.  
"I... I..." She studdered.  
"I get it. I messed up one too many times but that's all in the past. I've changed. I'm ready to be what you deserve," he said. "You don't have to answer me right now. My flight leaves in a couple of hours. You can think it through and give me an answer when I get home."

He stood back up, closed the ring box and put it back in his pocket. He could wait a week with putting it on her finger. Once it got there, it would never come off again.

"How many women are you planning on fucking on this trip?" She asked.

This time it was Roman's jaw that dropped. She had never spoken to him like that before.

"Last time I found evidence of three but I think there were more," she continued.  
"Evidence?" He asked.  
"Three new phone numbers in your phone. All from the state you had just been in," she said.  
"You went through my phone?" He asked angrily.  
"I always do. I know about them. Even if you don't come home with lipstick all over you smelling like you've fucked a two dollar whore, I still know," she said.

The tears ran down her face but she didn't sob or break down at all. She just stood there and let them fall while looking at him. Seth wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her but now was not the time. She was standing up to Roman for the first time in her life. It was enough that Seth was there. She knew he had her back if it was needed.

"This is ridiculous!" Roman snarled. "You need to come back home right fucking now! Know your damn place, woman!"  
"I think you should leave," Seth said.  
"Stay out of this!" Roman yelled.  
"Get the fuck out of my house!" Seth yelled back.

Roman looked at Seth with surprise in his eyes. Clearly he wasn't used to being yelled at.

"Whatever!" He looked at Sunnie again. "I'll be home in a week."

He walked out of the room and slammed Seth's front door as hard as he could. Seth shook his head and looked at Sunnie. He was surprised when she ran to him and threw herself in his arms, kissing him like she hadn't been kissed in years.

"Sunnie?" He asked surprised. "What's going on?"  
"Take me, Seth!" She almost begged.  
"Are you sure?" He asked.  
"Are you questioning my decisions now?" She asked.  
"No," he lifted her up. "Not at all, babe."

He carried her into the bedroom and placed her down on the bed. She pressed down on his shoulders, silently telling him what she wanted. It was a huge step in the right direction for him and he followed through with what she wanted. He crawled down her body, pushed her dress up and pulled her panties off. He looked at her to make sure and her eyes gave him the answer he needed. He dove in, giving her all he had with his tongue and fingers, desperately trying to show her how good it could be with a man when she actually wanted it.

"Fuck! Seth!" She moaned. "Just like that."

He felt her hands on his head, her fingers getting tangled with his hair as she enjoyed what he was doing to her. She cried out shortly after, shaking and arching her back, sounding like a god damn angel. She tugged on his hair and he got the hint. He raised his head and looked at her.

"I had no idea it could be that good," she said.  
"Yeah?" He smirked proudly. "That's what you get when you're with someone who doesn't only think about themselves."

He crawled up her body again and kissed her.

"Stay with me, babe, and I'll make you see stars every night," he said.  
"I wanna make you see stars too," she said.  
"You will," he grinned. "But tonight I'm making it about you because I'm pretty damn sure you've never experienced that before."


	6. Chase and beg

Seth woke up next morning on his right side again. He opened his eyes with a smile. He was thinking back at how they had ended their evening. The way she had responded to everything he did to her. It had felt perfect.

Something felt off this morning though. He turned around and his smile disappeared. She wasn't in bed with him. He ran a hand over her side and it was cold. She had been gone for a while. He listened but there were no sounds coming from anywhere and no delicious smells reaching him either. He knew it before he got out of bed and checked the house. She was gone.

He went back to bed and started searching for a note. There wasn't any. He went back to the kitchen and the living room but he couldn't find anything. This was Sunnie. She would never leave like that without saying anything. He found his phone but she hadn't texted either. He tried calling her but she didn't pick up.

He went out to take a shower, hoping she had just gone out for breakfast or something like that. Hoping she would be back soon although he knew that wasn't the case. He turned off the water and stomped out of the shower. He knew exactly where she had gone. He didn't know why but he would find out soon enough. He wanted answers. He wouldn't force her to do anything but he wanted to know why.

After getting dressed, he got out in his car and drove to Roman's house. Roman's car was gone as expected. Roman was probably already in another state for his business trip. Seth left his car and walked up to the house. He found the door unlocked. Of course she was there. He knew it. He walked inside and listened for her.

"Sunnie?" He called. "I know you're here!"

He walked through the house, aiming for the bedroom first. He sighed in relief when he didn't find her in there. For some reason he didn't wanna see her in the bedroom she had shared with Roman. He walked into the living room where he found her standing with her arms crossed, looking out at the garden.

"I used to have so many ideas what could be done with this garden but I never told Roman any of them. I knew he wouldn't approve," she said.  
"Why did you go back here?" He asked.  
"Would you approve if I wanted to change something in your garden?" She asked.  
"You can turn everything upside down for all I care. Plant trees or dig holes. As long as you tell me why the hell you went back here," he said.  
"I wanted to try it," she said.  
"Try what?" He asked.  
"To walk out on a man," she answered.

She turned around with a little smile on her face.

"I wanted to see how it would feel when he would chase me down. Not like Roman last night. He just showed up and demanded me to come home. I wanna be asked. I want the ability to say no. I want to tease. I want to hear a man beg," she said.  
"You want me to beg?" He chuckled.

He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. He backed her up against the glass door that led to the garden.

"I'll beg for you," he kissed her neck. "Please, babe, come back home with me. I want you so badly. I need you. I fucking crave to feel you under me, hearing you moan my name in pleasure."  
"Is sex all you want?" She asked.  
"Nah, I'll cook for you too," he joked.  
"Idiot!" She laughed. "You're so full of yourself."  
"You're gonna be so full of me later," he placed her hand on his boner. "Again."

She gave his dick a squeeze and he let out a small moan. Just like she had responded to his touch perfectly the night before, he was responding to her touch as well. She set him on fire.

"Babe?" He looked at her. "I'll beg some more if you want. Please, just come back with me. Fuck this house, fuck Roman, fuck what everyone else thinks. All we need is each other."  
"You didn't notice the bags in the hall?" She asked.  
"You packed?" He started smiling.  
"Another reason why I went back here. I needed to pack my stuff so I could move out of here for good," she said. "I did a lot of thinking last night. I fell in love with you a long time ago but you were Roman's friend. I wasn't allowed. And I didn't trust my own mind back then. I'm starting to and I wanna start by trusting how I feel about you. How I've felt for a long time."

He kissed her, once again pushing her up against the glass door. If he wasn't careful, he'd end up fucking her up against it. What a farewell statement that would be for Roman to come home and find her ass print on the glass and his semen on the floor. Despite it being a fun thought, he wouldn't go that far. He wouldn't be an asshole like Roman although Roman deserved it. Instead he broke the kiss and pulled her away from the glass door.

"I already called him and told him I'm leaving," she said.  
"How did he take it?" He asked.  
"He was screaming. I just hung up and blocked his number. You might wanna do the same before he starts calling you," she said.

He took out his phone and blocked Roman's number. It was time to cut ties with his old friend for good. They were miles apart. And when Seth was honest, he had only stuck around for this long because he had secretly been in love with Sunnie for a long time.

"I also called my father. He got so mad. He told me I'm disinherited," she said.  
"I'm so proud of you. As soon as the restaurant is up and running, you'll start earning money. Until then I'll pay for everything," he said.  
"Don't worry about it. I got this," she said.

She grabbed a shoe box from the coffee table and opened it. There was a lot of money inside.

"I saved over the years. First from the allowance my father gave me and then from what Roman gave me. I got an eye for a good deal and I haven't paid full price for any clothes for many years. I like going hunting at yardsales and thrift stores instead," she said.  
"What were you planning on doing with it?" He asked.  
"I don't know," she answered. "I think a part of me always knew the day would come where I had enough and needed to leave. I just didn't know a handsome man would help me out."  
"I am quite handsome," he chuckled. "Come here, babe."

He pulled her in for a kiss and smiled against her lips.

"First stop, the bank," he said. "You need your own bank account."  
"Second stop?" She asked.  
"I think we both earned an iced coffee," he answered.  
"Third stop?" She asked.  
"Grocery shopping?" He asked.  
"No," she laughed.  
"No?" He chuckled. "Well, where could you possibly want to go instead?"  
"Our bed," she smirked.


End file.
